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{{frabfp040.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

side his campfire--mebbe a fishing camp, on'y I
got an idea the light comes from a big lantern
and not a blazing fire. Strikes me it oughter bear
watchin' just the same."

A minute afterwards and he could no longer
see the object of his concern.

"By jinks! what sort o' hocus-pocus might
_that_ be, I want to know--did somebody blow
that light out just when I was hopin' big things
might come from it, or was it only a bunch o'
cabbage palms that come in between me an' the
glow?"

It did not reappear, although Perk kept turning
his glasses in that particular quarter time
after time, as fresh hopes awakened.

The amphibian was running as smooth as
silk, Perk told himself more than once--why
not, when they had most carefully checked it
over with scrupulous exactness, so as to be able
to pronounce it in perfect condition. That new
muffler did the work like magic and Perk really
began to feel as though the efficiency of their
aerial mount had been increased a hundred per
cent by the installation of such an up-to-date contrivance,
even if it did cut their speed down more
or less--when they had good need of swift wings
it could be done away with, since racket was
powerless to hurt them then.

A few clouds had started up and were drifting

[[40]]

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